Crash kills burlesque star 'Sparkly Devil'

Updated 11:06 pm, Monday, May 27, 2013

Sarah Klein, who performed under the stage name "Sparkly Devil," died early Sunday morning in a car accident on Highway 101 in Burlingame, Calif.

Sarah Klein, who performed under the stage name "Sparkly Devil," died early Sunday morning in a car accident on Highway 101 in Burlingame, Calif.

Photo: Eric Luse, SFC

Crash kills burlesque star 'Sparkly Devil'

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(05-27) 23:02 PDT Burlingame -- An internationally known burlesque performer and journalist was killed and 10 others injured when a bus packed with partygoers hit a car that went out of control and came to rest facing the wrong way on Highway 101 early Sunday.

One of the two people in the car was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Authorities have not released the name of the 36-year-old woman, but the executive producer of the Bay Area's Hubba Hubba Revue burlesque troupe identified her as Sarah Klein, known on stage as Sparkly Devil.

"She was probably one of the greatest comedic burlesque performers I've ever seen, but she could also transition into classic burlesque (and) become this other glamorous person just by doing it," Hubba Hubba Revue Executive Producer Jim Sweeney said while fighting back tears. "She was by far one of the most respected and beloved people in our community." She also wrote about the entertainment art form for magazines and alternative weekly newspapers, Sweeney said.

Her husband, Raul Padilla, 43, who was the driver of the car, was hospitalized in critical condition, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said. His passenger was not wearing a seat belt, Montiel said.

Both had been drinking earlier in the evening, but their level of impairment was not immediately clear, the CHP said.

The couple was in a red Honda coupe traveling in the southbound lanes near the Broadway exit about 2:05 a.m. when the vehicle went out of control and may have hit the center divider before coming to rest in the two left lanes facing northbound, the CHP said.

The party bus traveling southbound then hit the front of the car, the CHP said. Two other cars were involved in the crash.

Eight of the 18 people on the party bus were taken to hospitals, two with moderate injuries and six with minor injuries, the CHP said.

The party bus driver suffered moderate injuries, but refused treatment at the scene and went to the hospital on his own, the CHP said.

The accident closed all southbound lanes, with traffic diverted off the freeway at Broadway onto city streets until one lane was opened about two hours later. The freeway was fully opened at 5:10 a.m.

The accident was still under investigation and no arrests have been made. The CHP asked for witnesses to the accident to call investigators at (650) 369-6261.

Sweeney said he received word of the tragedy through Klein's family and friends and spent the day fielding Facebook and text messages from burlesque performers from around the world about Klein, who lived in San Mateo.

Klein had been scheduled to perform in a show Thursday in Las Vegas, where the small, but tight-knit community was gathering for an annual four-day Burlesque Hall of Fame fundraising event.

Sweeney said she was one of handful of performers who drove burlesque and worked to keep the its history of burlesque alive, not only on stage, but by writing about the entertainment art form in stories for magazines and alternative weekly newspapers. She also did press releases and media outreach for the revue.

Klein moved from Detroit to San Francisco six years ago and "within a month of joining the Hubba Hubba Revue, became one of the core members," Sweeney said.

The crash comes just three weeks after five women heading to a bridal party were killed in a fast-spreading limousine fire on the nearby San Mateo Bridge.

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